Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fatih!

In our journeys as seekers, we hope to become devoted to IkOankar (the One). In pursuit of this, we might engage in particular rituals, garbs, or other external displays. We might measure our piety or reverence against others. We might judge devotion based on what we can see.

But what does it mean to be truly devoted?

For this, we turn to the words revealed in Rag Prabhati by Bhagat Beni Ji—one of the fifteen revered Bhagats whose compositions are enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib. He, much like us, lived in a time when spiritual life was draped in ritual—when the performance of devotion was often mistaken for its essence. His words rise above that noise, as he urges us to turn inward—to move beyond pretense.

The Bhagat begins:

On the body, sandalwood; on the forehead, leaves. Inside the heart, it is as if scissors are placed in the palm.

With fragrant sandalwood paste applied to the body and ceremonial leaves placed on the forehead, there is an appearance of piety and devotion. But the question arises—what lies beneath these symbols? Bhagat Beni offers a striking image: While the body appears adorned and sacred, the heart holds scissors in its palm—a metaphor for inner turmoil, defensiveness, sharpness, and the readiness to hurt or divide.

And what do we divide? We divide people by class, by caste, by race, by gender, by religion, by political beliefs. We divide our own minds—saying one thing, feeling another, doing a third. We divide our homes, our institutions, our hearts. While we may claim compassion, our capacity to extend it meaningfully is often limited or conditional.

Bhagat Beni Ji holds a mirror up to the human tendency to curate an image that does not align with our inner state. We are cunning. We are full of deceit. We polish the outside, hoping to impress others. We are steeped in argument, while neglecting the garden within.

How easily meaningful acts slip into performance! The question is not whether we practice rituals, but whether our rituals are sincere expressions of devotion.

Bhagat Beni Ji invites us to reflect, to realign what is seen with what is truly felt. The One does not require decoration; the One asks for honest devotion.

Who can show us the way to true devotion?

Bhagat Beni Ji offers us clarity: One who has not recognized the inner-reality, all ritual practices of that blind being are meaningless. The Wisdom-centered being meditates on IkOankar alone. But without the eternal Wisdom, one cannot find the path.

We pause.

Any rituals, no matter how meticulously performed, are meaningless if we have not recognized the true essence of life—the One, the Source of all existence. A true devotee aligns their heart with the One, not through performance, but through love and devotion. This is not a path we can walk alone. The eternal Wisdom guides us, helping us see beyond the surface and into the heart of the matter.

True devotion, then, is not about spectacle—it is about sincerity. It’s not about being flawless, but about being willing to pause, reflect, and move toward congruence. When the heart and the hands move together, even the smallest act becomes radiant.

In what ways are we full of pretense?
In what ways might we become softer, more generous, more honest?
May we experience authentic devotion.
May our love for the One speak for itself.
May the Wisdom-Guru guide us!